Public schools in Butte, MT
9 open public schools with an address in Butte, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
9
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
4,195
8 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15.9:1
Montana median 11.8:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Butte public schools
The federal directory lists 9 public schools in Butte, MT: 6 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high. The 8 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 4,195 students, an average of 524 per school. The largest campus is Butte High School (1,266 students), and the largest elementary school is West Elementary School (503).
Butte Elem operates the most schools here (7), and 2 regular districts have at least one Butte campus. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 15.9:1, higher than the statewide school median of 11.8:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
About 93% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Butte
Elementary schools in Butte
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson School Butte Elem | PK–06 | 389 | 15.7:1 | |
| Hillcrest School Butte Elem | PK–06 | 412 | 19:1 | |
| Kennedy School Butte Elem | PK–06 | 219 | 13.2:1 | |
| Margaret Leary School Butte Elem | PK–06 | 359 | 16:1 | |
| West Elementary School Butte Elem | PK–06 | 503 | 16.3:1 | |
| Whittier School Butte Elem | PK–06 | 383 | 15.5:1 |
Middle schools in Butte
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Middle School Butte Elem | 07–08 | 664 | 15.5:1 |
High schools in Butte
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte High School Butte H S | 09–12 | 1,266 | 16.4:1 | |
| Butte Pathway Academy Butte H S | 09–12 | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White84.7%
- Hispanic8.1%
- Black0.7%
- Asian0.4%
- American Indian / Alaska Native1.6%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial4.4%
Enrollment-weighted across 8 Butte schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (4,195 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Butte
How many public schools are in Butte, MT?
The current NCES directory lists 9 open public schools with a location address in Butte: 6 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high. Together they reported 4,195 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Butte?
Schools with an address in Butte belong to 2 education agencies, led by Butte Elem (7 schools), Butte H S (2 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Butte?
Butte High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Butte, with 1,266 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Butte?
No school with an address in Butte is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Montana.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Butte schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Butte public schools is 15.9:1, higher than the Montana school median of 11.8:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Butte guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Montana cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Montana cities